This invention relates to an improved clothes dryer and tumble-preventing means for use with a clothes dryer. The invention serves to position an article to be dried, such as a shoe or pair of shoes, at a sufficient height above a rotating drum of the dryer to prevent the article from tumbling within the heated drying chamber.
Several prior art devices address some of the problems associated with drying shoes in a conventional clothes dryer. Since wet shoes are relatively heavy, they create a loud noise when allowed to tumble freely within the dryer. The violent tumbling of the shoes may cause damage to both the dryer and the shoes. In addition, the shoes often cause the dryer door to knock open, thus turning off operation of the dryer.
According to one prior art device, a single shoe is attached to a suction cup which is secured by suction to the rotating drum of the dryer. During the drying process, the suction cup is intended to hold the shoe in the drying chamber without tumbling.
This prior art device suffers from disadvantages. Since the dryer door is closed during operation of the dryer, it is often difficult to determine whether the suction cup and shoe are remaining properly attached during drying. Moreover, other articles of clothing being dried together with the shoe will tend to dislodge the shoe and suction cup from their secured position within the drying chamber.
According to another prior art device, a clothes rack or basket is mounted within the drying chamber of the dryer to restrain a shoe or other article to be dried. This device makes it difficult to dry other articles of clothing together with the restrained article. In addition, the device may cause damage to the dryer, and the other articles of clothing being dried.
The present invention overcomes many disadvantages of the prior art by providing tumble-preventing means which will neither damage the dryer, nor will it obstruct or damage other articles of clothing being dried together with the restrained article. The present invention is secured to the dryer at a point which can be readily observed by a user. Thus, the user is not required to periodically open the dryer door to determine if the article is remaining properly restrained during the drying process. Moreover, the present invention helps maintain the dryer door in the closed position during operation of the dryer.